Amid the gentle hum of engines and the occasional flash of headlights, law enforcement officers were a vigilant presence on Highway 304 in Kabin Buri district of Prachin Buri on a recent bustling Thursday. Their mission? To oversee a thoroughfare pulsating with pre-New Year activity. The atmosphere was one of caution, underscored by a pressing appeal from the People’s Safety Foundation, a clarion call urging the government to reinforce safety protocols to curb the spike in road mishaps synonymous with the festive season. (Credit to Manit Sanabboon for capturing this moment.)
As families and friends shake off the cobwebs of lockdowns and revel in the rejuvenating spirit of a post-pandemic world, the Foundation’s astute chairman, Nikorn Chamnong—who juggles his advocacy with parliamentary duties for the Chartthaipattana Party—is clear-eyed about the forecasts. An exuberant surge of visitors could swell highroads and byways during the New Year jubilee. “This poses a great concern,” he intones, acutely aware of the fervor with which people will likely crisscross the nation, empowered by governmental encouragements to explore its charms anew.
Indeed, the signs point to a restless populace on the move since Christmas Day, Mr. Nikorn notes. Within just two days, a toll of life—56 untimely demises on Monday diffusing to 53 on Tuesday—etched a grim statistic onto the national consciousness. On roads veined across the country, euphoric reunions in rental cars and the familial clamber into pickups are expected to define this period.
Adding to this, the government’s decision to recalibrate the holiday schedule—proclaiming a reprieve stretching from today until the rise of the year’s first dawn, with a compensatory break relocated to the eve of the cusp—holds implications. Mr. Nikorn perceives trouble in paradise: wayfarers may cut celebrations short, and, bereft of adequate repose, commence treks while dogged by fatigue—a hazardous omen.
The specters of New Year’s past linger, ghosts in the rearview mirror: A sobering 91 departures recorded on January 1st, 2019, serve as a stark reminder for the revelers of tomorrow.
Much to Mr. Nikorn’s chagrin, the loosened reins on nightlife—an extension of twilight revelry until the 4 am embers—in hotspot locales could spill over into insubordinate establishments, flaunting convention and tempting fate.
“This year, the government seems to loosen [restrictions]. It needs to tighten measures. We may receive more income from tourism but what we will lose is not worth it,” the chairman laments, advocating for a network of security installations and retreats for the weary along the bypaths of joy and celebration.
The tallies for last year’s “seven dangerous days” portray a dire narrative: a staggering 2,440 collisions, leaving 317 souls departed and 2,437 marked by injury. In this canvas of chaos, intoxication loomed large, the culprit in over a quarter of the calamities as per Public Health Ministry dossiers.
In the chambers of the Traffic and Accident Management Centre, among charts and monitors underscoring the nation’s pulse, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin echoed words of vigilance—beseeching citizens to shun spirits before commandeering their vehicles—a pledge to safeguard festive memories.
Complementing the premier’s exhortations, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul christened the launch of a formidable road safety campaign with high hopes, as the country braces for its first unbridled New Year almanac since the pandemic’s retreat.
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